Monday, January 23, 2012      Shortly after returning to service following a 2 car MVA on Round Hill Round, Washingtonville units were alerted to a possible structure fire at 11 East Main Street with no further information given. As crews began to quickly assemble in quarters, several people having just come through the area entered the bays and advised that fire was showing from the rear of Antonios, a local restaurant and bar located on the main strip of businesses downtown. Car 4 (Bates) working in the immediate vicinity advised incoming chiefs that he had a 3 story, woodframe, attached commercial building with a working fire and was in the process of checking the rear. Car 3 (Hearn) arrived moments later in front and established command and transmitted the 2nd alarm assignment. Engine 582 arrived within minutes of dispatch to find smoke rolling from the front windows of Antonios and smoke coming from the eaves of the roofline, a report from the rear advised fire on the first floor and heavy smoke pushing from several floors. 582 took a hydrant and began to stretch 2 attack lines into the front entrance to the restaurant. 582 forced 2 locked doors in short order in able to gain access to the floor above and first floor. Utilizing all members on the 2.5 inch handline stretched, 582 made 2 separate advances into the restaurant where they were met with zero visibility and high heat. Despite knocking down heavy fire, conditions continued to deteriorate rapidly and members were forced to back out to the street and attempt to push in from the rear near the involved kitchen.

     As crews struggled to gain a foothold on the first floor, first arriving mutual aid units and additional Washingtonville units (583 and 579) began to throw numerous portable ladders, perform ventilation by taking windows and cutting quick vent holes, setup aerial ladders for possible defensive streams and roof operations and perform searches of apartments on the floors above the fire under poor conditions, as numerous bystanders had reported possible people trapped above. Numerous companies stretched into fire and exposure buildings with 1 ¾ handlines, attempting to knock down heavy fire now present on nearly every floor and in the cockloft. Despite these efforts, the century old construction of the building and the numerous renovations done during its lifetime proved to assist the rapid spread of fire through void spaces present throughout. As conditions worsened, command now held by Car 1 (Zaccaro) requested that all units back out of the fire building and adjacent, attached exposures on either side to allow heavy water streams to knock back heavy fire before proceeding once more with interior attacks. At this time several members had documented tense moments backing out to ground ladders and the roof under zero visibility, with Truck 579’s roof team forced to abandon its equipment on the roof and crawl to the safety of the aerial ladder. After several minutes of defensive streams trained into the building, units on scene resumed interior attacks, knocking back fire in the law offices in the rear and second floor to the right of the building and the apartments above a hair salon on the left.

     With fire spread mainly contained to the 3 story fire building, units began to perform secondary searches of the building to ensure no occupants were inside. All occupants were accounted for and extensive overhaul and salvage operations began. Upon knocking down all fire at ground level it was discovered that fire was burning in the basement below and with layers of tiled and hardwood floors present in the restaurant and no access to the basement stairs due to collapse, a long operation of cutting ventilation and access holes to utilize cellar nozzles to drown out the basement fire commenced for the next several hours. With severe damage to the fire building and lingering concerns over spread to adjacent ones, command and the building inspector ordered an immediate demolition of the fire building which was completed prior to sunrise Tuesday morning. Units were on scene monitoring for any flare ups and hotspots.  A total of 4 firefighters, 2 from Washingtonville were transported to local hospitals for treatment of smoke inhalation and burns. All 3 have since been released and doing well. Due to manpower in short supply during weekdays and the scope of fire conditions and construction of the building involved a 4th alarm assignment was eventually present on the scene and on standby at the station. Standby companies at Washingtonville responded to a car into tree MVA on Route 94 during the incident. We would like to thank all mutual aid companies for their efforts and assistance.

Photos from Robert Brown Photography (like page on Facebook, Nate Demarse and The Times Herald Record